diff --git a/src/output_all.c b/src/output_all.c
index 5b7cc4908..29590abf0 100644
--- a/src/output_all.c
+++ b/src/output_all.c
@@ -495,6 +495,15 @@ audio_output_all_pause(void)
 	audio_output_wait_all();
 }
 
+void
+audio_output_all_drain(void)
+{
+	for (unsigned i = 0; i < num_audio_outputs; ++i)
+		audio_output_drain_async(&audio_outputs[i]);
+
+	audio_output_wait_all();
+}
+
 void
 audio_output_all_cancel(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/output_all.h b/src/output_all.h
index 91b6f3f5d..6ff45fb79 100644
--- a/src/output_all.h
+++ b/src/output_all.h
@@ -129,6 +129,12 @@ audio_output_all_wait(unsigned threshold);
 void
 audio_output_all_pause(void);
 
+/**
+ * Drain all audio outputs.
+ */
+void
+audio_output_all_drain(void);
+
 /**
  * Try to cancel data which may still be in the device's buffers.
  */
diff --git a/src/output_control.c b/src/output_control.c
index 842b89030..795d04a8c 100644
--- a/src/output_control.c
+++ b/src/output_control.c
@@ -229,6 +229,15 @@ void audio_output_pause(struct audio_output *ao)
 	g_mutex_unlock(ao->mutex);
 }
 
+void
+audio_output_drain_async(struct audio_output *ao)
+{
+	g_mutex_lock(ao->mutex);
+	if (audio_output_is_open(ao))
+		ao_command_async(ao, AO_COMMAND_DRAIN);
+	g_mutex_unlock(ao->mutex);
+}
+
 void audio_output_cancel(struct audio_output *ao)
 {
 	g_mutex_lock(ao->mutex);
diff --git a/src/output_control.h b/src/output_control.h
index b2e48fa8d..692c11676 100644
--- a/src/output_control.h
+++ b/src/output_control.h
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ audio_output_play(struct audio_output *ao);
 
 void audio_output_pause(struct audio_output *ao);
 
+void
+audio_output_drain_async(struct audio_output *ao);
+
 void audio_output_cancel(struct audio_output *ao);
 void audio_output_close(struct audio_output *ao);
 void audio_output_finish(struct audio_output *ao);
diff --git a/src/output_internal.h b/src/output_internal.h
index 6b81bbc78..de1b15c29 100644
--- a/src/output_internal.h
+++ b/src/output_internal.h
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ enum audio_output_command {
 
 	AO_COMMAND_CLOSE,
 	AO_COMMAND_PAUSE,
+
+	/**
+	 * Drains the internal (hardware) buffers of the device.  This
+	 * operation may take a while to complete.
+	 */
+	AO_COMMAND_DRAIN,
+
 	AO_COMMAND_CANCEL,
 	AO_COMMAND_KILL
 };
diff --git a/src/output_thread.c b/src/output_thread.c
index 40906d82f..fb1701591 100644
--- a/src/output_thread.c
+++ b/src/output_thread.c
@@ -450,6 +450,19 @@ static gpointer audio_output_task(gpointer arg)
 			   the new command first */
 			continue;
 
+		case AO_COMMAND_DRAIN:
+			if (ao->open) {
+				assert(ao->chunk == NULL);
+				assert(music_pipe_peek(ao->pipe) == NULL);
+
+				g_mutex_unlock(ao->mutex);
+				ao_plugin_drain(ao->plugin, ao->data);
+				g_mutex_lock(ao->mutex);
+			}
+
+			ao_command_finished(ao);
+			continue;
+
 		case AO_COMMAND_CANCEL:
 			ao->chunk = NULL;
 			if (ao->open)